When Anna Willard '06 ran the steeplechase for the American team at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships two weeks ago, the best competition in the world was the last thing on her mind.
"I was trying to just think of it as another track meet and remain focused and confident," Willard wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. "I honestly did not feel intimidated."
The World Championships were held in Osaka, Japan, from Aug. 25 to Sept. 2, with runners from 212 countries competing. The United States led the competition with 26 medals total: 14 gold, four silver and eight bronze.
Willard qualified for the World Championships in late June after placing second at the U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis. Her personal best time of 9:34.72 easily met the 9:48 qualifying standard.
Two months later at the World Championships, Willard found herself in a field of more than 50 competitors. She finished eighth in her heat with a time of 9:48.62, seconds short from qualifying for the final.
"I think I was past my peak performance for the season," Willard wrote, attributing her slower time to the weariness resulting from "a long season."
That long season included competing for the University of Michigan, where she attended graduate school last year. Willard said racing at Michigan helped prepare her with the confidence she needed at the World Championships.
"The Big 10 is by far the strongest conference in the women's distance events in the country," Willard wrote. "As far as rising to the top of the country - not just in the college ranks, but in the professional ranks as well - it has been a fairly natural transition. With every meet, I gained confidence."
Willard's impressive accomplishments include breaking the 4 x 800-meter and 4 x 1,500-meter NCAA records at the Penn Relays, winning three individual titles - in the 1,500-meter run, the 5,000-meter run and steeplechase - at the Big Ten Championships, winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase at both the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships and the NCAA National Championships, and breaking the NCAA record for the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
"I approached each race one at a time and tried to remind myself that I can run with anybody in the country," Willard wrote.
Willard said she learned valuable lessons during her time at Brown, where she broke the Brown record for the indoor 1,000-meter run and the outdoor 800-meter run, 5,000-meter run and the steeplechase. Willard was a two-time All-American runner for the Bears.
"My experience at Brown really allowed me to grow and mature both athletically and academically," Willard wrote. "I believe I really lived the Brown experience as a student, not just an athlete. When I competed for Michigan, and now that I am running professionally for Nike, most of my identity is being strictly an athlete. Brown taught me how to be a balanced and open-minded person, which helps me keep my athletic career in perspective."
Now, Willard has her sights set on the 2008 Olympics. "It was a great experience representing the United States (at the World Championships), and I look forward to doing it again next year at Beijing in the Olympics," she wrote.
There will be stiff competition for Olympic slots but Willard is not concerned.
"I am fully expecting to be on the U.S. Olympic team next year. I am focused on making the final of the steeplechase next year and breaking the American record along the way," she wrote.
Willard said she is looking forward to visiting Beijing, especially after her recent experience in Osaka.
"I am used to traveling a lot for competitions, but never as far as Japan," Willard wrote. "It was a phenomenal experience that I will never forget, mostly because I have never traveled to Asia. (Osaka) was a fantastically clean and organized city, and the people were overwhelmingly welcoming and supportive of the American athletes. I honestly felt like a celebrity."
